IOAM Flow Detection Using Encapsulation and Autonomous Transit Nodes

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Solution Overview

Problem

IOAM detection on target service flows is prone to failure due to inaccurate path calculation by centralized controllers, leading to heavy configuration workload and resource wastage.

Innovation Solution

Implement an IOAM detection processing scheme involving mutual coordination among a detection control device, encapsulation node, and decapsulation node, where only the encapsulation and decapsulation nodes are configured, with the encapsulation node performing IOAM encapsulation and marking messages with flow identifiers and automatic detection indicators, and the decapsulation node performing decapsulation, while transmission nodes autonomously detect and report without explicit configuration.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the centralized controller configures all possible nodes for IOAM detection, then detection coverage is improved, but configuration workload and resource waste increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedetection coverageVSAvoidconfiguration workload
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Transmission nodes automatically generate detection report instances and perform IOAM detection when target service flows are detected, without requiring explicit configuration from the centralized controller. The nodes self-configure based on flow identification information carried in the service messages themselves

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The encapsulation node pre-configures transmission nodes by embedding flow identification information and detection parameters into the service messages before they reach the transmission nodes. This preliminary action eliminates the need for the centralized controller to pre-configure all possible transmission nodes

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If the centralized controller configures all possible nodes for IOAM detection, then detection coverage is improved, but resource waste increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedetection coverageVSAvoidresource waste
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

Transmission nodes only activate detection resources when they actually detect target service flows carrying the specific flow identification information. Nodes that do not receive target flows do not allocate detection resources, eliminating waste while maintaining coverage

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

Each transmission node independently determines whether to perform detection based on local observation of incoming traffic. The detection capability is activated locally only where and when needed, rather than being uniformly activated across all configured nodes

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Reliability

If the centralized controller calculates transmission paths accurately, then IOAM detection execution is improved, but path calculation complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedetection executionVSAvoidpath calculation complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the path calculation function from the centralized controller and transfers it to the transmission nodes. Each node independently determines whether it lies on the transmission path by checking for the presence of target service flows with matching flow identification information, eliminating the need for complex centralized path calculation

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

Flow identification information embedded in service messages acts as an intermediary that carries path-routability information from the encapsulation node to transmission nodes. This intermediary mechanism replaces complex centralized path calculation with simple flow matching at each node

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentEP4084414B1Detection configuration and processing methods and systems, control and communication devices, and storage medium
Publication Date: 2025.11.19 ZTE CORP
  • EP4084414B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4084414B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP4084414B1 patent drawingFigure 4~6

AI summary

Detection configuration and processing methods and systems, control and communication devices, and a storage medium. A detection control device only needs to configure an encapsulation node and decapsulation node in a target IOAM domain that corresponds to a target service flow; and the detection control device does not need to perform configuration for transmission nodes in the target IOAM domain, and even does not need to be concerned about which nodes are the transmission nodes of the target service flow.